Vertically adjustable fluid pressure actuated work holder



Allg- 1, 1950 .3. HILDEBRAND Erm. 2,517,431

ALLY ADJUSTABLE FLUID PRESSURE ACTA-TED WORK HULDER BY 4 l ATTORNEY l 2 u 7 e, 1. 5, .Y 9u4 .M am S ma um P num .uw @um `A Hmm BTW ESD DUwm H WA HAw YC BLA .n Sm m v 6 4 9 1 0 w. .l v. i, 1l.` 1. .m d w.. m A F l N VEN TORS.

ATTORNEY Aug. l, 1950 s. B. HILDEBRAND r-:TAL 2,517,431

vDR'rIcRLLY ADJUSTABLE FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATED woRx HOLDER 5 Sheets-Shut 3 Filed July 12, 1946 Samuel Bruce Hildebrand Lawrence M. Sli/r'lcn IN VEN TORS.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 1, 1,950 f VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FLUID" PRES- SURE AcTUA'rED WORK HoLDEE Samuel B. Hildebrand and Lawrence M. Shirlen, Marion; N. C., assignors to Drexel Furniture Company, Drexel, N. C., `a corporation of Dela- Ware , Application July 12, 1946, Serial No. 683,284

(01;` Mel- 288) 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a work holder or press and more especially to `means on which a chest of drawers, china closet and the like can be placed and the work piece can be elevated to proper position, so that a workman will not have to stoop over while fitting drawers or doors in the same, for example, and the elevated platform, which supports the article of furniture has a post rising upwardly therefrom with a suitable clamp for engaging the top of the chest with pneumatcally operated means for pressing against the top of the article for holding the same firmly on the platform while it is being operated upon by a workman, such as in fitting the drawers in the framework or fitting doors therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide `a platform onto which an article can be placed together with means for elevating the platform, and means carried by the platform for pressing against the top of the article for holding it rmly in position while it is being worked upon, and without scarring or defacing the article in any manner, and which holding means is quickly releasable, so that the platform can be moved to lowered position, either before Or after releasing the clamping pressure `on the article.

It is another object of this invention to provide means `for supporting a piece f furniture, such `as a chest of drawers and the like, and which support can be elevated to the proper level and which support carries clamping means adapted when pressure is applied sidewise thereon, such"A as in fitting drawers and the like.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection `with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus showing the floor of the building, with which it is associated, in section and showing the platform in raised position;

Figure 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation and taken along the line 2-2 in Figure Figure 3 is an elevation taken substantially along the line 3--3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken sub-` stantially along the line Y4lt in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top plan View and taken partly in section along the line 5-5 in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectionalview through the raising means for the platform;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view through the control valves `and taken substantially along the line 'I- in Figure `il. i i

Referring `more specifically to the drawings, the numeral I 0 indicates the floor of a building, which is supported by a `plurality of joists` or sleepers II. Suitable cross sleepers I2, |51, IE6,` I11 `and I8 are provided between some of thelsleepers II and a portion of the door I0 is -cut away providing a platform I3. I I

`To the #cross pieces I6 andwI'I are secured four downwardly projecting angle members 20,\which have secured between `their Alower ends a plate 2,I

-on which' is supported a piston 22, said piston 12'2 having a flanged lower portion, as at 23, and being secured to the plate 2I by any suitable means, suchas screw 24. This piston has-a pipe 2G projecting upwardly therethrough and penetrating the top closedend of the piston, as at 121.

Plate 2l has secured `therein the lower `ends of -a pair of guide rods 3'0 and 3|, having suitable enlargements, such as nuts 3,2 on theirfyupper ends and these bolts and guide rods 3U and` 3| slidably penetrate `upstanding ears34 and 35, which are fixedly secured to the lower end ofa cylinder 36.

Cylinder 36 is secured to the lower surface of platform I3, by anyV suitable means, suchas `a plate 31. Plate 3l is reinforced by suitable `lins 38 secured tothe lower surface thereof and welded to the exterior Aof cylinder 3S.

The lower surface of the platform I3 has suitable flanges dil, to which are secured downwardly projecting guide rods 4l, which are slidably mounted in cuffs 42 secured on the transverse sleepers I5 and I8, which guide the platform I3' in its up and down movements.

The front edge of the platform I3 has secured thereto an angle, iron or other suitable support 44, which has secured thereto a plurality of plates or vanes `45, which project downwardly and prevent the foot of `an `operator from being projected into the path of the platform I3 during a lowering operation.

Secured to the floor III is a pair of L-shaped angle brackets `IIiI and |02, which rise upwardly and serve as a guide for the rear edge of the platform `It in a raised and lowering operation, whereas the `vanes 45 serve as a guide for the platformHIB also, as well as the. guide rods 4I, which slide `in the culfs 42.

The rear surface of the platform I3 has secured thereto a suitable slat or other stop member 45', against which the rear lower` edge of `the work piece,^s1.lch` aspl lchest of drawersV 46, is

.pressed air.

adapted to be placed when placed in position on the platform I3.

The floor of the building has a cut away portion, as at 41, into which projects a plate 48, which is secured to the lower surface of the platform I3 and this has welded thereto a suitable upriser or pipe 49, which is 'reinforced by suitable vanes 50 welded to the plate 48 and to the pipe 49. This pipe 49 projects upwardly and has slidably mounted thereon the two arms 52 and 53 of a bracket 54.

In the outer end of bracket 54 is clamped b means of a bolt 55, a cylinder 5B having a piston 51 slidably mounted therein, which piston5'l has a piston rod 69 slidably mounted in a packing gland 6I in the lower end thereof. The lower end of piston rod 60 is secured to plate 62, having a soft pad 63 of rubber, felt or any other suitable material secured to the lower surface thereof for engaging the upper surface of the chest of :drawers 46.

The raising and lowering of the platform I3 and the operation of piston 51 is accomplished by means of a compressed fluid, such as com- A suitable source of compressed fluid, such as compressed air, is indicated by reference character 19 and airmay be forced into this from a suitable compressor, not shown,

-through a pipe 1 I. Leading from the compression tank 10 is a pipe 12, which leads to a T 13 and lbranch pipes 14 and 15 are connected to valve housings 16 and 11 respectively. These valve housings have exhaust ports 18 and 19 and have other ports 80 and 8|, to which pipes 82 and 83 respectively are connected. The pipe 83 is connected to a suitable nexible hose 85, which in turn is connected to a pipe 86, which passes up through support pipe 49 and penetrates the upper end of the pipe 49, and is connected by a suitable luprising push rods 93 and 94, which slidably penetrate the floor I0 of the building. Core 95 has a passageway 90', which, in one position, connects pipes 14 and 8'2 and admits air to the lower cylinder. Valve casing 11 has a core 95 therein having a passageway 95', which connects pipes and 83. Core 95 has an outwardly projecting stem 91, to which a double ended lever 98 is connected and the free ends of which are connected to push rods 99 and |60, which slidably penetrate the floor I0.

Method of operation With the platform I3 lowered to floor level, a

chest of drawers or other object, being desired to be worked upon, is placed on the platform I3. The bracket 54 is adjusted by sliding up or down on the pipe 49 until the pad 63 engages the top of.

the chest of drawers with the piston moved all the way upwardly in the cylinder 56. Then the push rod I 90 is pushed to where the parts occupy the positions, Shown in Figures 3 and 7, and comon the platform I3.

f Figures 3 .and 7.. andcompressedair 4will bead-fl pressed air is admitted through pipe 83, hose 35,Y

-pipe 86, hose 81 to the top of cylinder 55which forces piston 81 downwardly yto clamp the chest Then the push rod 93is pushed downwardly tothe positionpshownin `be raised before the .work piece is clamped thereon.

After the drawers have been Amuy erred and other work, if desired, has been performed upon the chest, such as painting or fitting of doors, then the push rod 94 can be depressed to where passageway 90 and valve core 90 will connect the pipe 82 with exhaust port 18 and air will be exhausted from the cylinder 36 and parts will move to lowered position, or the position shown in Figure 2. Then the push rod 99 can be depressed, which will cause passageway to connect pipe 83 with exhaust port 19 and air will be exhausted from the cylinder 56, and thus the chest of drawers will be unclamped and can be removed for the insertion of another chest of drawers on the platform I3.

In the drawings and specication, there has been set forth avpreferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms areemployed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

' We claim:

l. Apparatus for elevating and clamping a work piece in position, comprising a platform disposed at substantially floor level, pneurnatlc means for raising the platform, means for guiding the platform during a raising operation, means secured to one edge of the platform and :extending upwardly, and over a work piece, a 4clamping member mounted on the upwardly extending means for lengaging the top of the work piece disposed on the platform, and pneumatic Ameans forcausing the clamping means to exert pressure on the top or the work piece.

2. Work holding means comprising a platform disposed in and closing a hole in the floor of a building, `pneumatic means secured to the lower surface of the platform and to the floor structure of the building for elevating the platform relative to the floor, a standard rising from near one edge of th@ platform and having a vertically adjustable bracket thereon, a piston and cylinder mounted on the bracket, said piston having means for engaging the top of the work piece, means for admitting air tothe cylinder on the bracket for forcing the piston downwardly to apply pressure to the top of the workpiece and means for exhausting fluid from the cylinder and from the L pneumatic means to release pressure on the top of the work piece and to allow the platform to Vmove tooor level by'gravity.

3. Apparatus for elevating a work piece such as a chest of drawers to a suitable height for work to be ,performed thereon by a workman without stooping, comprising a platform fitting into a hole in the oor structure of a building, a sub-frame secured to the lower surface of the iioor, a piston and cylinder assembly disposed below the platform, the remote ends of the assembly being secured to the lower surface of the platform and to the subeframe, said platform having a plurality of downwardly extending guiding rods secured to the lower surface thereof, fixed guides in the floor structure for receiving said rods, meansfor admitting a fluid under pressure to the -piston and cylinder assembly for raising said platform, an upwardly extending post on one side REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 15 file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATlJN'lS` Name Date Turner Aug. 23, 1910 Kees June 25, 1912 Lunati Sept. 1, 1925 Onsrud Sept. 25, 1928 Clement Oct. 15, 1929 Seip Sept. 3, 1940 Larson Mar. 28, 1944 Solomon Dec. 19,1944 Mitchell Feb. 18, 1947 

